Archive of Our Own

It was a Tuesday afternoon like any other, but this time, all the second-year students had to attend flying class together because Professor Vargas would be absent at the end of the week to participate in a bodybuilding competition in the Land of Pyroxene. 

Regrouping the class had seemed like a good idea at first, but now, in practice, it was a disaster. Vargas had planned five activities and intended to rotate the class every 30 minutes over two hours. It had seemed perfect, in his mind. But he quickly lost control. Some activities were considered easier than others, and a rebellion from Class 2-D over unfair conditions turned everything into a mess. While trying to resolve the initial problem, Vargas didn’t notice the students escaping from the class or the fights breaking out between others. 

Riddle assisted with this, very angry at the lack of respect toward the poor teacher and the quality of the course. He decided to take justice into his own hands, riding his broom to punish every student who disrespected rules. Of course, Floyd Leech was among them. He seemed very happy about the situation, taking advantage of the chaos to fight with others. Seeing Riddle rush toward him to stop his fun, Floyd jumped onto his broom and flew off, laughing. 

Floyd is not very good at flying lessons. Better than Azul and Jade, of course, but he has no real control over his broom. Most of his actions are unpredictable, and he often thinks after he acts. This situation was no exception. He hadn’t thought about how to slow down in his excitement and started going very fast. Too fast. Riddle noticed it first, but it was too late, and Floyd fell nearly seven meters. Riddle tried to cushion his boyfriend’s fall and managed to reduce the impact. Floyd was now on the ground, a little shocked by the event. 

“Floyd! Are you alright? What were you thinking, going that fast?! If I hadn’t been here, you could have seriously hurt yourself!” Riddle jumped off his broom and ran toward the moray, furious. He had just suffered a near heart attack. Sometimes, he regretted falling in love with this man. 

“I’m fine, Goldfish. Just scratches,” answered the mermaid. 

Floyd instantly knew something was wrong. The taste of blood in his mouth was too strong to ignore. By reflex, he put his hand in his mouth and realized he was missing a tooth. 

“Oh! Look, Goldfish, I’m missing a tooth.” Floyd smiled as if to illustrate his words. Blood began to drip over his lips. 

Riddle was speechless, panic rising in his chest. Vargas hadn’t noticed the accident and was too busy trying to control the students. The red-haired boy was the only one who could help his boyfriend. 

“Don’t touch it! Come with me, you need to drink some water and show it to a professional” Riddle started walking toward their bag, where his bottle was. The injured one followed him. Riddle handed him his flask. Without a word, Floyd took it and drank all in one go.  

Jade and Azul, having witnessed the scene from the beginning, took advantage of the moment to approach the couple.

“It was quite an impressive fall, dear brother. I’m glad to see you’re alright. Thank you, Riddle. Once again, we can count on you to protect him.” said Jade with a mischievous smile. 

“I can protect myself!” protested his twin. “Why didn’t you do anything? It’s your fault I lost my tooth.” Floyd briefly showed the damage, fortunately, the bleeding had stopped. 

“My fault? Do I need to remind you that you were the one who got on your broomstick and took off at full speed all by yourself? You know Azul and I are not very competent in these matters. If it's someone's fault….” He glanced at Riddle, his smile never fading.

“Wait, what?” Riddle turned abruptly toward Jade, looking outraged.

“Yes, indeed. If Floyd took his broom, it’s because of you. Riddle, you are too harsh in your reactions. I don’t know how you can fix this now…” added Azul, joining Jade’s game. 

“But that’s not true! I would never have done that if Floyd had behaved in the first place,” Riddle argued, trying to defend himself. 

“Floyd, what do you think?” asked Azul.

“Don’t care,” answered Floyd, running his tongue over the gap. 

“I’m really concerned about what Mother will think of your boyfriend if she learns he broke your tooth and did nothing to fix it…” Jade sighed, feigning emotion. “It’s not a very good impression, don’t you think, Azul?”

“Of course. Knowing your mother, she's likely to hold a grudge against him for a long time.” 

It’s Riddle's turn to sigh. He weighed the pros and cons. He couldn’t afford to make a bad impression on his mother-in-law, even though he insisted he had done nothing wrong. There was no telling what story Jade might tell her. On the other hand, Riddle knew the dental field quite well. With a call to Trey, he could get a list of five dentists who could treat merfolk in less than ten minutes. All he would need to do is fill out some paperwork with Crowley and make an appointment as soon as possible. Riddle remained convinced that Floyd needed to see a professional to determine the best course of action and check if any other teeth had been affected by the fall.

“Fine, I will take care of him. Let me just call Trey to get more information about a dentist, ” Riddle finally replied, reluctantly.

“ Dentist?” The three mermaids looked at him strangely. 

“Yes, a doctor for teeth. You’ve never heard of that before?” Riddle asked, surprised. “You don’t have that underwater?” 

Faced with their silence, Riddle understood the situation better. If they had never dealt with this before, all the more reason for him to handle Floyd's case himself. 

“That sounds boring, I don’t want to go.” 

“I’m afraid you don’t have a choice. If you refuse, I refuse to kiss you. Rule number 153 of the Queen of Heart: if someone needs medical assistance but refuses to see a doctor, they cannot receive physical affection.” Riddle looked completely serious. 

Suddenly, Floyd stopped playing with his tongue and looked at Riddle, completely shocked. Being forbidden from cuddling Riddle was the worst punishment imaginable. Sure, most of the time he ignored the rules, but Riddle looked completely inflexible about this one. And the punishment might even extend to being forced to sleep in his own room instead of his lover's bed.

“Fiiine, I will go.” 

If Riddle had been paying closer attention, he would have noticed Jade and Azul's sly smiles. They are definitely up to something. Riddle steps away from the trio for a moment while they begin discussing Floyd's working hours at the Monstro Lounge and how he would make up for lost time. The redhead grabbed his phone and called the third-year student, who should have been working independently at this hour. Riddle usually hates calling during class time, but exceptional situations called for exceptional measures. 

Besides, it wasn’t like he had disrupted the flying lesson, which had, at this point, turned into a mermaid rescue course…

“You can see this as a new experiment,” said Riddle as he walked toward the Chamber Mirror. Behind him, Floyd dragged his feet and looked tired. He had absolutely no reason to be; Riddle was the exhausted one. He had spent two hours of his afternoon doing paperwork for him, trying to convince Crowley of the urgency of the situation, while Floyd, barely concerned, remained on the sidelines. As if that weren’t enough, he had also needed to stop his boyfriend from escaping several times. Riddle had every reason to be exhausted. 

“Yeah but it's still boring. All that trouble just for a tooth… Why can’t I just go to the infirmary? Surgeonfish could check me quickly and that'd be enough.” 

It was the third time Floyd had asked this question. Riddle patiently tried to explain that the merfolk doctor was on vacation for 2 weeks, and Crowley refused to hire a replacement for such a short period. Something about it being too expensive for only a few students. After all, what were the chances one of them would get injured? Floyd always chose the worst timing. The taller boy continued to complain, slowing their pace even further. 

“If I didn’t know you better, I’d think you were afraid, Floyd. I can stay with you during the appointment if you need me to.”  

At those words, Floyd straightened up and immediately began walking faster. 

“Of course I’m not! I just want to cuddle you sooner.” The merman tried to pull Riddle into his arms, but the smaller boy quickly dodged him.

“Floyd, I said no!” 

“It’s unfaiiiiir.” 

Floyd kept trying, but thanks to his antics, they reached the Chamber Mirror faster. 

The dentist’s office was located in Ultramarine Town, a city famous for its merfolk-friendly infrastructure. Many human-merfolk lived there thanks to its proximity to the Coral Sea. Floyd and Riddle already knew the city well; it was where Riddle had met Georgina Leech for the first time a few months ago. Floyd had also organized a surprise weekend there for no particular reason. Those memories were among Riddle’s favorites. 

After passing through the mirror, the lively and welcoming atmosphere of the seaside resort replaced the earlier squabbling. This place has always had a way of calming Floyd. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes. The redhead was truly happy to have found an appointment here; he's convinced it helped Floyd accept his fate more easily.

Looking at his watch, Riddle realized there were only 15 minutes left before the appointment. The taller boy had really taken his time… He grabbed Floyd's arm and pulled him into the crowd, the siren following him silently, clearly pleased by the contact. To be clear, it wasn't affectionate at all, merely a precaution to keep him from wandering off.

The doctor came from the Coral Sea. According to her website, she was a wrasse cleaner mermaid. Riddle also understood, she was new to the profession but very sociable and good with children. Floyd was not a child, though most of the time Riddle had his doubts. He couldn’t imagine Floyd reacting well to some stern, unfriendly old man. Furthermore, he had no desire to deal with a murder if something went wrong. It was best to increase the chances of compatibility.

They arrived five minutes early. The building looked pleasant enough, and the secretary welcomed them warmly. Yet Riddle noticed Floyd tense up slightly, clearly uncomfortable with the environment.

“I’ll come with you.”

“Hmm?”

“I said I’ll come with you. It’s your first time, and I know how stressful that can be.” Riddle looked at him. “You do have doctors underwater, don’t you?”

“Yeah but I never go. It’s always my mom or Azul who patches me up after something goes wrong. You know, underwater it’s easy to get hurt. If I had to go to the doctor every time, I’d never leave the hospital. We only go for emergencies. We’re way stronger than you, Goldfish ~~” Floyd smiled viciously. Riddle rolls his eyes.

“My parents are healers. My mother taught me how important it is to stay healthy at all times. Whenever I return home, I always go through a full checkup: blood tests, weight checks, oral, joint and muscle evaluations, even if I feel perfectly fine.” He paused. “When I was a child, it happened every two weeks if Mother noticed even the slightest change in my behavior.” 

“Your mom’s a control freak. That’s scary. I already said it, but I really don’t like her. If she were my mom, I think I would’ve squeezed her.” Floyd moved closer to Riddle, preparing to pull him into his arms a voice interrupted him. 

“Floyd Leech?” 

Both teenagers looked up at the sound of the voice. The woman standing in front of them was about as short as Riddle, and Floyd immediately laughed at the comparison. Riddle glared at him, though he was still pleased to see that his boyfriend seemed far more relaxed than when they had first entered the clinic. 

“Welcome, I’m Doctor Labre. You can follow me.” She wore a bright, sunny smile. Exactly the kind one would expect from a dentist. 

The office had a beautiful view of the sea. A small desk stood near the window beside a computer and several jaw casts believed to belong to different species of merfolk. 

“Mr.Leech, you may sit in the chair. I’ll examine you now.” 

Floyd obeyed, somewhat intrigued by what would happen next. The dentist turned toward Riddle. “You’re here because of a missing tooth and possible jaw damage following an accident, correct?” as she spoke, Doctor Labre put on her gloves and mask before approaching the merman. 

“Yes, the accident happened about 8 hours ago.” Dr. Labre nodded. 

“Could you open your mouth, please?” She leaned over the merman. Floyd opened his mouth briefly before immediately snapping it shut again. “I’m sorry, but I can’t see anything if you close it that quickly.” 

“Not my problem.”

“Floyd, behave. The faster you cooperate, the faster we'll be done.” 

“Wrasse cleaner’s too close,” Floyd muttered, visibly uncomfortable. “Why does she have to stare inside my mouth like that?” 

“Alright, no problem. I’ll be as quick as I can, but I still need to examine you.” Floyd looked toward Riddle, a hint of distress in his eyes. Riddle took his hand.

“It’s fine. I’ve done this plenty of times before. It doesn’t hurt. ” 

“It’s not the problem!” 

“So, what is it?” Floyd is strangely silent. “Listen, the doctor has another patient after us, so please open your mouth unless you want to use a mouth prop instead. I promise we could stop by the new shoe market afterward if you behave."  

At those words, excitement immediately flashed Floyd's face. He had been wanting to visit the shoe market with Riddle for two weeks to show him a new pair he wanted to buy. But, Riddle was still Riddle, and he never seemed to have time for these things. 

Floyd opened his mouth again, but the moment he felt the doctor looking inside, he reflexively shut it once more. 

“No, I can’t. It's weird. I don’t like it.” 

Floyd abruptly stood up from the chair. Riddle pinched the bridge of his nose.

“I understand but…” tried the dentist

“Floyd. Either you open your mouth willingly, or we use the mouth prop.”

“That’s evil.” Floyd glared at him.

“Your jaw could be injured.”

Silence. Floyd clicked his tongue in irritation before finally slumping back into the chair.

“Fine. But only if you stay close.”

The doctor picked up the mouth prop. She looked at Floyd, he still displayed an openly hostile attitude towards her.

“If he tries to bite you, hand me the instrument. I’ll do it myself. He won’t hurt me.” Riddle sounded completely certain. 

The other mermaid approached carefully, perhaps regretting every career choice she had ever made. Riddle felt sorry for both of them in this situation, starting to feel a little guilty himself. Despite the threats, Floyd allowed the doctor to place the device in his mouth surprisingly quickly. More than anything, he simply wanted this ordeal to end. Both the dentist and Riddle let out small sighs of relief, and Floyd gradually began to calm down. 

“That’s good Floyd. You're doing great.” Riddle gently stroked Floyd's hand and smiled at him. Floyd met her gaze, still looking a little irritated. 

The blonde dentist resumed the examination. A few minutes passed in uncomfortable silence. Every now and then, Floyd tried to close his mouth, but the device prevented it. Riddle was fairly certain that if they had gone to a human dentist instead, Floyd would have destroyed the equipment without much effort. Even in human form, his jaws were incredibly strong, he could easily crack open crabs with shells still intact. 

Riddle continued to hold his hand. He knew how important physical contact was for Floyd. The redhead suspected it was probably his main love language. In hindsight, perhaps forbidding physical affection after Floyd’s accident had not been the best idea either, but rules were rules… 

Meanwhile, Floyd was in complete distress, trying unsuccessfully to catch sight of his Goldfish. All he could see was a blonde girl and a painfully bright light. He had tried to close his mouth so many times that his jaw was beginning to ache. He already knew this experience would be added to his personal list of torture methods. The only thing calming him down right now was Riddle’s touch. 

Suddenly, the dentist stepped away from Floyd. 

“Excuse me for asking this now,honestly, I probably should have asked sooner, but… your partner is a moray eel merman, correct?” She now looked deeply embarrassed. Riddle frowned suspiciously. 

“Well, yes? Is that a problem?” 

“Not really, but I have to admit this is the first time I've treated one here.” She hesitated. 

Riddle's heart tightened. Perhaps she didn't know how to treat him? Perhaps Floyd's species had specific characteristics that limit treatment options? 

The dentist carefully removed the device from Floyd’s mouth. Riddle immediately took that as confirmation that the examination was over.  

Floyd sat up in the chair, avoiding Riddle’s gaze as he quickly covered his mouth with one hand. 

“How can I put this professionally… You see, most sea species are polyphyodonts. That means they can replace their teeth throughout their entire life. If something happens, the tooth simply falls out, and a new one grows back within a week or two. Moray eels are among those species. Most of my patients are marine mammals or mollusc species instead.” 

Riddle’s face turned bright red. At least Floyd wasn’t hurt.  

“Why didn't you tell me?!” 

Floyd visibly tensed at the accusation.

“I forgot! Stuff like that happens all the time underwater, but you looked so worried that I forgot that informa…” Floyd abruptly cut himself off, as though suddenly realizing something. “Wait. I forgot, but I'm sure Jade and Azul didn’t. I’m going to squeeze them so hard! They knew from the beginning!” 

Riddle was simply too exhausted by the entire situation, though he silently promised himself revenge. All that effort for nothing. From a certain point of view, this outcome was obviously far better than anything else, but after everything they had gone through, it was still deeply frustrating. Jade and Azul had better have some very good explanations ready. He cleared his throat, trying to push the anger aside.

“Thank you very much for your work, Doctor. We’re truly sorry for wasting your time.” Starting today, Riddle promised himself he would study moray eels much more thoroughly. 

“Oh, it’s quite alright. Thanks to this misunderstanding, I got to observe a dentition type I rarely ever see up close. I can do it all day.” She seemed genuinely delighted by the situation. Maybe she and Trey would get along very well…

After that horrible experience, both Riddle and Floyd fell silent. Seeing Floyd this quiet was unusual, and it made Riddle uneasy. He tried to move closer to him, but Floyd refused contact. Riddle's stomach clenched painfully. Something was definitely wrong, and he began reconsidering his own behavior. 

“Floyd, I’m sorry about what happened. I should’ve listened to you, but I truly thought it was important for your health.” 

“I don’t care, Goldfish. Let’s just go home. I need to talk to Jade.” At those words, Floyd started walking faster toward the mirror portal. 

Riddle almost reminded him about the shoe market, they still had plenty of time, but he could tell Floyd genuinely wanted to return home. Instead, he hurried after him and gently took his hand. The merman accepted it without protest, though he still refused to look at him. 

With Floyd acting so strangely, Riddle decided to accompany him all the way back to Octavinelle. He also wanted the explanation from Jade. Floyd had mentioned that Azul would probably be too busy to speak with them anyway. 

However, when they arrived in front of the Monstro Lounge, the merman suddenly changed his mind. 

“Actually, I don’t want to anymore.” Floyd shrugged and turned away. 

“Wait, what?! Floyd, we still need an explanation!” 

“No. I need my bed.” 

Riddle sighed for what felt like the thousandth time that day. Nobody could predict  Floyd’s mood swings. He had already made enough effort today for one day. 

“Fine, I’m coming with you” 

They walked toward the Tweel’s room. Once they arrived, Floyd opened the door, muttered a quick good night, and closed it behind him. 

No kiss, no cuddle and no nickname. 

Riddle felt tears sting the corners of his eyes, frustrated by the day but also weighed down by guilt. Maybe Jade and Azul had been right, everything that happened today really was his fault: the accident, the stress of having an appointment, the appointment itself. Now Floyd felt bad because of him. 

He took a deep breath. He was not a child. He was not going to burst into tears simply because his boyfriend was sulking. Everything was fine. He could call Trey for tea before bed and sleep alone for once. 

Sleep alone. 

This thought immediately brought tears back to his eyes, forcing him to rub at them despite his makeup. Perhaps he was far more dependent on Floyd than he realized… Calling Trey suddenly sounded like an excellent idea. 

Riddle started walking back toward Hearslabyul, trying not to think about how pathetic he probably looked right now. Maybe, with some luck, he wouldn’t run into anyone.  

“Oya, was the appointment really that bad?” 

Riddle jumped at the sound of the familiar voice before quickly forcing his expression back into something proud and threatening. 

“I fail to see how that concerns you, Jade. Why are you here?”

“You’re standing in front of my bedroom door.”

Oh. Yes. That was a fair point. 

“I take it, judging by your expression, that Floyd was a little rude. He’s hardly a gentleman when he feels embarrassed. I assumed you already understood and wouldn’t misunderstand him. Clearly, I was mistaken. My sincerest apologies.” He sounded absolutely unapologetic. 

“Why didn’t you mention that moray regrow their teeth their entire lives? Do you realize how much effort I went through because of this?! And what Floyd had to go through ?!” Riddle was rapidly losing patience. 

“I didn’t mention it? How strange. Perhaps you looked so dramatic I simply didn’t wish to ruin your plans.” The smile on Jade’s face was utterly intolerable. “We merely wanted to see how far you would go. I admit, even I was surprised. It exceeded my expectations.” 

“You deserve to have your head cut off.” 

“You’re being awfully aggressive. I only came to check on my dear brother because I care about him, and now his boyfriend is threatening me. How unfair.”

“I just want to understand why Floyd reacted like that. If you refuse to answer me, I’m leaving.” Riddle turned sharply on his heels.

“I already told you. He’s embarrassed.” 

Riddle stopped and looked at Jade. 

“I’m fairly certain he’s angry. He has no reason to be embarrassed. Not more than usual, at least.” The redhead mentally reviewed the events of the day, trying to determine exactly what could have possibly embarrassed Floyd. 

“And that,” Jade sighed, “is precisely your problem. I would’ve thought communication mattered more to you.” Riddle frowned. “For moray eels, showing one’s jaws carries a lot of meaning. I remember once, back in middle school, Floyd pranked me and forced me to show my jaws to Azul for nearly two entire minutes. I was mortified.” 

“A strong significance? You didn’t help me with your little revenge!” 

“I’m sure Floyd would be delighted to explain it personally. Let’s ask him.” 

Before Riddle could protest, Jade opened the bedroom door. Inside, Floyd was changing into his pajamas. 

“Riddle apparently has something extremely urgent to ask you. Something that absolutely cannot wait until tomorrow.” Jade stepped aside with a smile. “Go on, Riddle.” 

A heavy silence immediately settled over the room. With the twins staring directly at him, Riddle began to stammer, his face turning scarlet in seconds. The reaction made Floyd smile.

“I just want to know…” Riddle swallowed. “What does it mean when a moray eel shows their jaws?”

“Well. Good night.” Jade immediately turned around. “I’ll be sleeping in Azul’s room tonight.” 

Before Riddle could object, Jade shoved him into the room and slammed the door shut behind him. After regaining his composure, Riddle noticed that Floyd was blushing too.

“I’m going to kill him.” Floyd muttered quietly, avoiding eye contact. 

Riddle suddenly had no idea what to do with himself. He felt horribly embarrassed, and the last thing he wanted was to upset Floyd even further. Silence stretched between them while Floyd finished changing clothes, likely searching for the right words at the same time. After nearly two minutes, Riddle slowly stepped backward, preparing to awkwardly excuse himself and spend the rest of the evening crying dramatically into his pillows.

“Goldfish. C’mere. I want a cuddle.” Riddle blinked in surprise before immediately walking toward him, reassured by the nickname alone.

Floyd opened his arms, and Riddle melted against him instantly. The stress of the entire day dissolved almost immediately. He was in the arms of the person he trusted most. Floyd's scent filled his senses, and Riddle finally relaxed. And then he started crying. The mermaid clearly had not expected that reaction at all, and he instinctively tightened his hold around him.

“What happened, Goldfish?” Floyd asked quietly. 

“I’m sorry about today. I really didn’t want to upset you. I didn’t know what I did wrong, and we couldn’t even hug properly all day…” Riddle kept crying , softly while trying to calm himself. Floyd rubbed soothing circles against his back. 

“But I’m not angry with you. And you already apologized. I told you it was okay, so it’s okay.”  

“Really?” Riddle looked up hopefully into Floyd’s beautiful gray eyes.  

“Yeah.” Floyd hesitated slightly. “Listen…there’s something important I should explain.” Riddle gradually calmed down, sniffing quietly as they both sat down on the bed. 

“When moray eels want to seduce someone, especially during the mating season, we show our jaws. It’s…a really intimate thing for us.” Floyd’s face turned red again. “And today I had to do that in front of a complete stranger while my boyfriend watched. It felt like cheating.” 

Riddle stared at him in complete shock, unsure how to even respond. It was the first time Floyd had ever explained this to him, and given the context, he understood why. This had never been about fear. Riddle had completely violated the mermaid's privacy; it's far worse than a medical phobia.

“You don’t have to apologize!” Riddle immediately took Floyd’s face in his hands “It’s my fault. I didn’t understand what that meant to you. But I promise, I don’t think you cheated on me at all.” Floyd smiled softly. 

“Just promise me you’ll never drag me to the dentist again. And I never want to see that woman again.” Riddle laughed. 

“I think we should both agree to forget this entire experience.”

“Agreed” 

“And next time, please just tell me when something has that much significance to you.”

“But that's less fun.” 

“Floyd.” 

The merman burst into loud laughter. Riddle immediately tackled him into the bed in an attempt to silence him, which only made Floyd laugh harder. After a brief wrestling match, they eventually settled down together beneath the blankets, Riddle wrapped securely in Floyd’s arms. In the end, the evening had not turned out so badly after all. 

“Love you, Goldfish.” Floyd tightened his hold around the smaller boy. 

“Love you too, Floyd” 

As Riddle closed his eyes, he quietly wondered when he would have time to buy Floyd those new shoes.